Capitol Police Negotiating With Man Who Claims To Have Bomb Near U.S. Capitol

NRUS.INFO
19 Авг 2021, 19:56

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A police vehicle moves into an area Thursday near the U.S. Capitol and a Library of Congress building in Washington, D.C., as law enforcement officials investigate a report of a truck containing an explosive device.

Patrick Semansky/AP

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Patrick Semansky/AP

U.S. Capitol Police said Thursday they are negotiating with a man who said he had a bomb in his truck near the Library of Congress, across from the U.S. Capitol.

This is an ongoing investigation.

We are monitoring this situation closely and will update this account as we get information we can release.

— U.S. Capitol Police (@CapitolPolice) August 19, 2021

Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger told reporters that the man drove a black pickup onto the sidewalk in front of the library’s Jefferson Building at 9:15 a.m. ET and told an officer he had a bomb. The officer said the man had what appeared to be a detonator in his hand.

Manger said negotiations with the man are ongoing.

«My negotiators are hard at work to try to have a peaceful resolution to this incident,» he said.

Manger said police don’t know what the man’s motives are but they do have «a possible name.»

The bomb threat comes as Congress continues to investigate the Jan.6th insurrection at the Capitol, when a mob of demonstrators supporting then-President Donald Trump stormed the building.

Several streets in the area have been closed as well as nearby buildings of the library, the U.S. Supreme Court and Congress. The FBI said its Washington Field Office is responding, along with agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Washington’s transit agency said subway trains are bypassing the nearby Capitol South Metro station.

Neither the House of Representatives nor the Senate is in session, and most lawmakers are not in their offices.

This is a developing story.